the pathway along which food is transferred from trophi level to trophic level, beninnign with primary produers

define production

the rate of incorporation of energy and materials into the bodies of organisms

define consumption

refers to the metabolic use for growth and reproduction of assimilated organic materials.

define decomposition

the third ecosystem process, the breakdown f organic materias into inorganic ones

define primary productivity

the amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by the autotrophs of an ecosystem during a given time period.

define gross primary productivity

total primart productivity

net primary productivity

GPP-energy used by the producers for respiration

biomass

promary productivity expressed as a weight (energy per unit area per unit time = g/m^2/yr)

define standing crop biomass

total biomass of photosynthesetic autotrophs present at a given time

define pyramid of productivity

A graph in which the trophic levels are stacked in blocks, with primary producers forming the foundation of the pyramid. The size of each block is proportional to the productivity of each trophic level

define biomass pyramid

a pyramid in which each tier represents the standing crop biomass in a trophic level

pyramid of numbers

a pyramid in which the size of each block is proportional to the number in individual organisms represented in each trophic level.